STATEMENT ON SENATE HEALTH CARE BILL

"Like the House version, the Senate bill is mean-spirited to the core - cruelly sacrificing health care coverage for the most vulnerable among us for tax breaks to the most fortunate.

"If passed, millions of Americans will lose health insurance, people approaching retirement age will be forced to pay an unfair 'age tax,' and those of us with pre-existing conditions will once again face discrimination and outrageous costs.

"There is a clear reason this bill was drafted in secret with zero bipartisan input, and Senate Republicans are now ready to spring these catastrophic consequences on the American people with minimal time for public debate.

"My office has received more calls, emails, and letters about health care than any other issue - more than 5,000 since the start of the year. I urge my colleagues to listen to the overwhelming voice of the American people, oppose this ill-considered legislation, and begin work in a bipartisan way to improve rather than tear down our health care system."